Modern communication devices typically have mechanisms for communicating over a variety of communications pathways. These communications pathways can comprise a large plurality of communication path segments that can be linked together in a variety of ways to effect a communication path that will bear communicative traffic. These various permutations comprising communication segments can be known as bearer paths. A simple example of a bearer path segment can be a string stretched tight between two cans, the string carrying the vibrations of a voice spoken into one can across the string to the other can. More complex examples of bearer path segments can include the various interconnections of copper wire in old POTS (plain old telephone system) exchanges, hops across various routers in an IP system, wireless links in a cell phone network, wireless links in an WLAN system, fiber lines running across the ocean floor, copper power lines in a PowerLine-type LAN system, radio links between HAM operators, or any other medium that can bear communicative content or data.
Typically, the selection of a bearer path is delegated, at least in part, to a communicating device or the user of a communication device. As a basic example, a modern smartphone can select among an Enhanced Data rates for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) Evolution (EDGE) cellular link, a 3G (3rd Generation) cellular link (including 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) technologies), a WiFi link (IEEE 802.11 or other wireless LAN links), etc., when sending or receiving information. Generally, modern devices are merely programmed to select from the available bearer paths in a predefined preferential order based on availability, e.g., where WiFi is available, data is preferentially routed on WiFi rather than a 3G bearer path segment regardless of the actual performance of the bearer path segments. This can result in sub-optimal selections of a bearer path where the actual performance of a bearer path segment departs from the anticipated performance. Continuing the previous example, where the WiFi bearer path segment is selected by the smartphone, if the WiFi link is heavily burdened, the 3G bearer path segment could have provided superior performance. A user can also generally interact with a device to, at least in part, designate a bearer path, e.g., the user can turn off the WiFi radio in the exemplary smartphone and the smartphone will then typically revert to a 3G bearer path segment selection where WiFi is no longer available. Generally, the selection mechanisms in modern user equipments (UEs) can often be associated with sub-optimal performance.